Overrun countless times by marauding aggressors, subjugated to overbearing
foreign rule for centuries, and now told their beloved vodka
can be made from anything, the Polish nation has endured more than
most. Yet Poland, a country crushed flat so many times it has become
indestructible, is shaking off the last vestiges of forced slumber and
rushing with great abandon into a modern 21st century.
Despite the country’s rush to embrace the future, its past cannot be
ignored, particularly when it confronts you at every turn. Warsaw may
be embracing New World cuisine, café culture and clubs that never close,
but you’ll still encounter peasant women selling bunches of flowers in its
beautifully reconstructed Old Town. Drive across the country’s northern
expanse and you’ll stumble upon a string of 14th-century Gothic
castles, like the magnificent example at Malbork, the last remnants of the once powerful Teutonic Knights. Catch
a no-frills flight to Kraków or Wrocław and you’ll arrive in magnificent
medieval centres. Or choose almost any major city, from Lublin to Poznań – and too many small
towns – and you’ll bear witness to extermination camps, derelict Jewish
cemeteries, and dark political prisons, terrible reminders from the last
70 years.
This massive land in the heart of Europe has become the epitome of a
changing continent. Now a member of the EU, it is enjoying the rewards –
and experiencing the challenges – of this exclusive club. Money has
begun to flow into the country, repairing roads, building shopping malls
and beautifying streets, but the progress is laboriously slow for some.
Poland still has an unemployment rate twice as high as some of its EU
compatriots, and its young, educated citizens are leaving in droves for
wealthier pastures.
While the country’s cities rapidly modernise, its countryside continues
to retain its rustic allure. In Poland’s southern reaches, dominated by
tree-clad mountains, the cliché of horse-drawn carts transporting hay
from the fields still holds true. Bucolic splendour spreads from the outskirts
of urban centres as far as the eye can see, and pockets of primeval
forest in the northeast shelter herds of wild bison. The clear waters of
the Great Masurian Lakes prove irresistible to sailors and kayakers, and
the long, sandy beaches of the Baltic coast provide ample opportunity for
summer seaside sojourns.
It is, however, in this rural expanse that Poland’s populist politicians
gained a groundswell of support, which swept a conservative coalition
government to power in 2005. Internally some saw it as a step backwards,
and the then government’s anti-gay stance, ultra-Catholic bent and draconian
intentions drew a rash of opprobrious criticism. Externally, Poland’s
political moves in the last two years have also caused headaches;
relations with Germany sank to an all-time low since the fall of communism,
and friction with Russia rose to unsettling levels. However, elections
in October 2007 changed Poland’s political landscape once again,
with the liberal Civic Platform party winning the majority of votes. Many
breathed a sigh of relief, not least other EU leaders, who will now deal
with the more pragmatic and pro-EU Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Yet Poland and its people should not be judged by the actions of its
politicians. Poles remain doggedly warm and generous despite the massive
upheavals, something many visitors can attest to. Even if you protest
profusely, you will be forced to polish off a bottle of vodka or two, eat
plate after plate of bigos (cabbage and meat stew), and join intense discussions
on philosophy and politics, but it’s comforting to know that it’s
all done with a love of life and an appreciation for the present, because
no-one can be sure what tomorrow will bring.
But don’t take our word
for it: spend some time here and you’ll discover a unique land where East
meets West and helpings of joy and sorrow have been served up in equal
proportions. And you’ll come away with new-found admiration for this
unbreakable country.
Last updated: Jan 8, 2009
